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Your experiences in the first few weeks

Old 06-13-2012, 03:26 PM
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Your experiences in the first few weeks

Hi all,

I am curious to know what your experiences were, say, in the first several days / weeks / months of quitting. Also, if you can share how many drinks / how often / how long you drank.

I've read about the DT's and the other withdrawal symptoms. I know that everyone will react differently to quitting physiologically and psychologically but I would like to hear personal your experiences for reference.

I have drank daily for 8 years - about a six pack of beer per day.

Thanks a lot.
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Old 06-13-2012, 03:50 PM
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Early recovery began in a 28 day rehab
via a family intervention. Prior to that
intervention, Feb. 1990, I had a horrible
accident 2 in the morning on my return home
from a club. I ran into some road construction
less than a mile from my home hitting
a concrete culvert sitting on top the ground.

This landed me in the hospital via EMS where
I spent 10 days with my punctured spleen
removed so I wouldnt bleed to death.

I healed up rather quickly with pain meds
and no alcohol. Come August 1990, I ended
up at the same club, coming home to another
arguement and on a dare that I wouldnt
kill myself, i down a hand full of pain pills
left over from my accident with wine and
off to not even thinking about the next day.

The warning flag flew high when my 2 little
ones couldnt wake me for their last day of
vacation bible school. Family was summoned
and intervention took place where the authorities
came to pick me up as I was led to a police
car like a criminal.

That was 21 yrs ago.

Those 28 days in rehab, i had a good start
for my recovery as I was handed the tools
and knowledge of my alcoholism and a
program of steps and principles to apply
to my everyday life for a day at a time.

My sobriety is a journey of a lifetime as I
continue to pass on all that knowledge of
recovery that has been freely passed on
to me over the years.

Good topic..!
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:00 PM
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Thanks for sharing your story Sharon.
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:07 PM
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Welcome to SR Sleepyinny

If you click on peoples username you can find all their threads and read their stories...

I drank daily for 12 years, maybe 4-6 beers, half a bottle of wine and countless G&Ts a night... My withdrawals were minimal, mainly night sweats and anxiety, but I was terrified. I'd really recommend going to see a doctor if you are worried. That really put my mind at ease. The rest has been up and down. Don't hesitate to get all the help you need.

Glad you're posting here x
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:16 PM
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Thank you Hypo. Glad to hear your withdrawals were minimal. I wish the same for me..
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:32 PM
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Just my experience:

In the past two years my binge drinking became intense: 5, 7, 10 day stretches were common. After each of these, I generally dealt with withdrawal at home. This included vomiting, total loss of appetite, light sensitivity, heavy night sweats, raging anxiety and panic to the point where I absolutely could not sit still, terrible, surreal nightmares, auditory hallucinations, the usual gamut short of full blown DT. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is the clinical term I believe. The past two major binges ended with me walking into an ER, because I knew it was going to be worse. In the hospital even on Ativan I had some minor visual hallucinations at night. Recently, after my last binge, I woke up unable to know where I was, couldn't recognize myself in the mirror, and had the words to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star playing over and over in my head though, if it makes sens, I could not recognize them. Total insanity.

It is nothing to fool around with and everyone is different, so the best bet is to seek medical assistance
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:37 PM
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Originally Posted by sleepyinny View Post
Thank you Hypo. Glad to hear your withdrawals were minimal. I wish the same for me..
Don't wish it, just go to a medical professional to ensure it!! I drank about 8-15+ shots of vodka a day from college til 38 days ago (mid 20s) and withdrawals felt like hell on earth. I thought I would die and woke up many times after a night of withdrawals marveling at how I didn't die in the middle of the night. It's one of the scariest feelings in the world - waking up and wondering if I'm alive or dead in some afterlife scene. Good luck.
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Old 06-13-2012, 05:07 PM
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Oinobares and Mwstylee, when did the bad withdrawal symptoms start for you? from day 1, day 3, a week after?
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Old 06-13-2012, 05:36 PM
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I did not drink consistently, but I would go on 3 or 4 day hinges. The main thing was the anxiety. I did sweat at night and couldn't sleep, again, the anxiety. Eating was also repulsive for a day or two.

I am on day 36, AGAIN. The longest I have been sober is just under six months. It gets better. Just don't let it fool you into thinking you can drink.
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Old 06-13-2012, 05:44 PM
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Thanks Elisabeth.
For the first time in about 5 years, I've gone 2 full days without a drink in the past two days. It was a small victory for me and gave me a bit of confidence. Then I just had a few beers...
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:03 PM
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All these blogs are what each us need. I have been drinking ten to twelve beers a night for about eleven years. Weekends it could be twenty four to thirty six and a pint of rum just to put me to sleep at night. I had a family intervention that I called upon myself last Sunday night. I texted every person in my phone that I thought might care ("I NEED HELP"). To my surpise the phone calls came pouring in and people starting showing up at my house. I would like to say I haven't had anything to drink since then but, it was just last night that I screwed up my stretch. Tomorrow is another day to try again and I will keep trying until I get it right.
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:13 PM
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please talk to your doctor before quitting. until starting up again a few months ago, I had quit for a few months with no bad effects. I have drank off and on, with over a decade off. the past few months I did not drink every night, but did tend to drink a lot of wine when I did. Sometimes I had only half a bottle of wine, other times a bottle and a half, plus a couple beers, sometimes wine and a few shots of whatever. that's only been a few months. I've gone through hell with withdrawals. I shouldn't have waited to get medical help. pain I can't describe, stomach cramps, hallucinations, headaches, shaking, freezing, drenching, thank God no seizures. Waited to go til day 8. they gave me fluids by iv and sent me home with antibiotics - I had no idea I have pneumonia, likely from aspirating vomit. day 10 now and this is first I feel even semi alive again. I went to an aa meeting last week and can't wait to go back. I'm just too sick to even go out right now. please look around the site and listen to the helpful people who have been through this far longer than we have. you will find great support, understanding andwisdom. all the best to you.
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:19 PM
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Joshua,
yeah! let's keep trying together!
Once I had like 5 years under my belt of everyday drinking, I continued because I was kind of afraid how I would be at work the next day if I quit drinking.
But I actually felt okay compared to what I thought how my body would react to the lack of booze the last two days.
I drank today but will try to quit for longer in the next few days.
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:21 PM
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I am curious to know what your experiences were, say, in the first several days / weeks / months of quitting

i didnt puke on myself
i didnt pee my pants
i didnt get a gun pulled on me
i didnt get the crap beat outta me
i didnt have any hangovers
i admitted i had a problem and it was more than just drinking
i admitted i didnt have a clue how to fix me.
i found a group of people just like me in Aa that knew where i had been
i found out they knew what would fix me
i realized they had more experience at what worked to fix me and what wouldnt work.
the fog started lifting
i started following in their footsteps
i made it one whole day without even thinking about a drink!!!!( THAT was something i hadnt experienced in a loooong time)
at 90 days, i didnt know what had changed in me, but it was better than how i felt when i walked into AA and decided i was gonna keep goin back and doin what the big book and those people suggested.
i no longer wanted to kill myself
i actually looked at myself in the mirror!!!
i actually started liking myself!!
i wanted to help others with no expectations of anything in return( what was THAT all about???)

i became sober.
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:26 PM
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Thanks TomSteve. Hit a chord with me.. being able to look at yourself in the mirror.
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:37 PM
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Sleepyinny, That is the thing to do, just keep trying. The buddy system is a great way to make things happen. I am going to post an update each day on hear and starting tomorrow I am going to AA for the first time ever. I have had enough and need this for myself in a way like no other.
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:49 PM
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I'm 24 years old now. First time I quit I was about 20 years old. I had been binge drinking (10-20+ drinks) anywhere from once a week to 6 days a week since I was 16. Heaviest drinking from 18. I went through shakes, sweats, auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, and a ton of anxiety. The worst subsided after 3 days. It took me 3 or 4 weeks to feel somewhat normal again. I quit drinking for a year but still had low levels of situational anxiety. They got better everyday though and were very manageable.

I picked up again when I turned 21. I started drinking a few drinks once a month and over a year and a half I ended up drinking almost every day. For pretty much the past year and a half I drank 200ml-500ml of rum six days a week and 750ml+ once a week. I always drank after 5pm. At this point I have to drink to sleep, function, and get through anything and everything in my life. If I don't drink I get terrible anxiety. I haven't had a panic attack in years but I live in constant fear of them. Below is a breakdown of days and weeks since I quit just over 5 weeks ago:


Week 1: No DTs this time, just extreme anxiety. Anxiety comes in waves and peaked on day 3. I had a friend stay with me and I can't sleep much due to anxiety. Wake up 2-3 times a night in panic. During the first week my emotions came in waves too and I'd go from being the happiest person in the world into the most depressed person in a matter of a few minutes. From day 3 everything slowly started getting better.

Week 2: Anxiety still in waves. A new feeling of missing something intermittently manifest itself. It's a feeling of impending doom, mixed with lonesome, mixed with sitting on the edge of your seat while watching your team in double overtime. I also feel like I'm going through the motions but I'm not fully cognizant of whats going on. All these emotions and feelings come and go without any rhyme or reason. Sleep still messed up. Scared to sleep because I know I'll wake up in panic.

Week 3: Feeling of missing something still there. Sleep gets better. Have hard time getting to sleep some nights but start making it through the night without waking up. Waves of anxiety still present but not as bad.

Week 4: Sleeping through the night no problem. Anxiety gets better. Still comes in waves. Mood stabilizes with some depression still. Haven't felt on top of the world again though since week 1.

Week 5: Feeling of missing something almost completely gone. I am mostly "out of the fog" and am finally aware of what I'm doing. I'm consciously doing things instead of going through the motions. I start to get occasional cravings for a drink (I haven't had any cravings until now). Some days anxiety is almost all gone. Some days its back to week 2 levels. I have a lot of relationship and work stress that's not helping it though...

Week 6: Only started a few days ago. Same as week 5 so far.

I hope this helps. It's not easy, but after the first week I felt better than I did while drinking. And although initial withdraws were worse my first time, this second go around has been harder and worse overall due to the anxiety. As I write this I'm still not back to "normal", but I can see that each week I get better and better. Hopefully this is the end of the line and there is no 3rd go around for me! Good luck with your sobriety!
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Old 06-13-2012, 07:11 PM
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Thanks for sharing Walktheline. It sounds like you're progressing well and I hope you keep up the good work!
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Old 06-14-2012, 06:44 PM
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I was a 6-12 beer drinker, the occasional pint of liquor, sometimes buy a big bottle of booze and all bets were off. I drank everyday for years. I really couldn't remember a day I hadn't drank.

I am sober now. I weaned off over four days, mostly drinking beer, reducing my intake everyday. When I finally got all the way dry I still got chills and night sweats for a couple of days, a nagging headache, and major depression, for a week or so. Also had odd sweating all day for a couple of those days, which didn't smell good, kind of a sour smell. Yuk. Maybe I was fermenting? And brain fog, which is getting better but I've had a few days where I can't type well and I can't come up with names for things very quickly.
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Old 06-14-2012, 08:33 PM
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Welcome sleepyinny!

Congrats on your 2 days sober! I didn't know what to expect from getting sober either, and it was so comforting to come here and know I wasn't alone. My experience with withdrawals was different each time, though, so just be careful to do the best thing for you.

Glad you're here - it's been a lifeline for me!
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